CHEZMARYLOU

Some of the bars such as the Martini bar have snack mix. Cellar Masters has cheese, olives, a vegetable and bread sticks. On some cruises they have this set out on a table for you to help yourself, or if not busy the sommelier will fix you a plate. On our last cruise there were prepared serving plates with the 3 items on them. The sommelier would bring them to you.

Mary Lou

I always believe that good soap and water washing beats a hand sanitizer. Celebrity uses Purrell which, according to their web site, is alcohol based, not the triclosan base that the author does not like.

Mary Lou

We will be doing a 3 day land tour prior to our Celibrity cruise which includes Denali's Natural History Tour but would like to upgrade to the Tundra Wlderness Tour and wondering if anyone has done this and what the additional cost was. Thanks.

Celebrity's 2013 Land Tour Excursion brochure lists the Natural History Tour as $98 adult & $47 child. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is $159 adult and $76 child. This should give you an idea of the difference in price.

Mary Lou

I just spoke to the Captains Club. The discount is for select ships only. We are on Equinox and it is not included.

Mary Lou

We booked several excursions recently and did not receive a discount. Maybe it is something new, or you lucked out. They do advertise savings with a package of 3 or 4 excursions on some cruises but I think you need to book the whole package.

Mary Lou

I cannot remember specific islands but I know we have been asked for photo ID one or two times. We take our drivers licenses, not our passports. Our state started returning expired licenses when you get the new one so we take those with us in port.

Mary Lou

One of our credit cards offers 5% cash back for on line purchases in the last 3 months of the year. We get $500 ship board credit for $475. Since we are cruising in December it just makes sense to do this.

Mary Lou

Hello Du vent dans les voiles, I must say your English is far better than my non existent French, sorry we will not be sailing with you as we too enjoy our wine.

You do not sign up for the wine events until onboard. When you board you will find several tables, usually around the buffet, staffed by sommeliers who will be happy to sign you up. You can also sign up with your sommelier at dinner, or visit Cellar Masters upon boarding for a list of events and to sign up for any you are interested in. They will also be listed in the daily activity sheet and you can sign up on an event by event basis.

One not to be missed is the "Around the World Tasting". We've enjoyed the premium tasting on some ships but not so much on our last cruise. The wines were not premium in our opinion for the price they charged. The port tasting was also a good one.

They also offer a wine dinner, usually held in Tuscan grill, and may have a Chef's Table. Just ask once onboard.

Enjoy your cruise and wine.

Mary Lou

We've been invited twice, both times on our anniversary.

Mary Lou

The only thing I have not been able to do is register for a connections party. Everything else I tried seems to be working.

The web site does have the higher gratuities listed and shows that I owe $11 on my next cruise. I called the captains club earlier this week and their internal system has the correct amount for both of our cruises. The notes on our Alaska cruise regarding an onboard credit are still in their system too.

Mary Lou

I am not sure about packages but I know that people believe that you cannot pre-book specialty dining on holiday cruises. This is not true. It is just that the slots they allow for pre-cruise reservations [for any cruise] are limited and these sell very early for holiday cruises. We easily booked specialty dining on every night of our New Year cruise but this was well over a year before the cruise.

 

Sue

It appears to be just the 3 & 5 night packages. If you book special days such as New Years Eve well in advance of the sailing you can book online. If you wait too long bookings for those special days will be closed. We missed it last year but booked early enough to get Muranos on New Years Eve this year. Bookings on line are now closed for 12/31 & 1/1.

Mary Lou

On some sailings, such as New Years Eve, you cannot even book the 3 and 5 night specialty packages pre cruise. New Years Eve and New Years Day individual specialty dining bookings are usually closed several months before the cruise sails. I'm sure it is the same for Christmas bookings.

MEY lOU

Thanks, great packing tips.

Mary Lou

Celebrity issues many press releases that are quickly posted on Cruise Critics. It would not have been at all difficult to issue a press release, post on their web site, and give people a chance to book before sailing. But, they handled the increase in the specialty dining prices in the same way as the increase in the on board beverage package price as I remember.

Mary Lou

Unless things have changed, Celebrity will print your boarding passes for you. They have a disclaimer that some passengers are rejected by TSA on a random basis. Your final destination has to be in the US.

Mary Lou

Qsine was fun once and possible twice but I like other options. Like many frequent cruisers we would like to see a specialty restaurant with a changing menu based on the season and cruise itinerary.

Mary Lou

I take an over the counter diuretic when it gets really bad. Just make sure I do it on a sea day. :D Sometimes it seems that the bottled water is worse than the tap water on the ship.

Mary Lou

Is the internet still free in a RS?

If you receive the Elite coupons there will be a coupon for 90 minutes of free internet. You will both receive one (if traveling with someone else) and they can be used to upgrade to a higher package.

Mary Lou

Does anyone know which of these perks, if any, are available with the Sky Suites?

The 2 free bottles of alcohol and soft drinks, free casino money and wait lounge on embarkation are not available in Sky Suites.

The reserved theater seating is only on formal nights.

One thing not mentioned is free cappuccino or espresso from the butler on request.

You can call Celebrity prior to sailing to pre book your free specialty dining. It does not have to be the 1st night and you choose the restaurant.

Mary Lou

On our last cruise we had to go to the buffet after dinner if we wanted a chocolate on our pillow. We then had to go to the laundry for a pillow case.

Mary Lou

We sailed with Melissa on Millennium to Alaska in 2011 and very much enjoyed our trip with her as the CC hostess. Conversely, we were on Eclipse for 14 nights this past New Years. We never met the CC hostess, despite attending many of the functions for Elites. I could not even name her. She did seem to be very engaging with some passengers.

Mary Lou

Very interesting, since I tried a case, many years ago, in Harrisburg or Harrisonburge (please excuse the spelling). My recollection was the courthouse which was a marvel of constructrion. It was back in the early 60's; and, as I recall it was located about 50 miles from Pittsburgh.

If you are referring to the capital of Pa, it's Harrisburg and it is about 240 miles from Pittsburgh.

Mary Lou

Our reservation says WAV7-PREM BEV...but what do SLC4-SAVINGS and SLC5-WAVE BEV PKG stand for? Mine does not say that.

Because of the prices associated with these initials my assumption is that the SLC4Savings is the reduction of the cost of the classic package and the SLC5 is the cost. It's confusing, as was my post, because the savings (-$968) comes 1st and the charge shows on the next line. It thus reads:

SLC4-SAVINGS -$968

SLC5-WAVE BEV PKG $968

WAV7-PREM BEV $ 0

It did take about 8 - 10 days to get an updated confirmation form X with the amounts showing.

I would like to upgrade and pay for it before we sail. I've spoken to Celebrity several times but the additional $ does not show on the reservation.

Oh well, I have documentation that we can upgrade and if we do it on board that will be ok.

Mary Lou

"IF" you upgrade during the promotion (til 02/18)

it is only $10 P/P per day. There is no add on of 15%.

I added the Premium to my package for 5 days (cost $100).

Jack

Jack,

What was the procedure you used to upgrade? My Booking Confirmation shows the package and also has an item for the prem pkg.

SLC4-SAVINGS $968

SLC5-WAVE BEV PKG -$968

WAV7-PREM BEV $ 0

I've gone on line with my reservation but the pkg does not show there.

Mary Lou

Hi everyone. I'm new! Planning a July '12 Bermuda cruise with friends aboard the Summit. I am wondering about the same thing mutleytex asked. Are those numbers maybe the bin number, to assist with ordering easily?

 

We're trying to decide what kind of beverage packages to order. Knowing what is potentially available by the glass at the $8 and $12 price points, as well as bottle prices, is a huge help.

 

Thank you so much, Sloop-JohnB!

On the pages with the bottle price the 1st number is the price, the # in () is the vin #.

Mary Lou